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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend January 9, 2007 SOU president announces 17 layoffs Cuts in nonacademic staff may be followed by reduction in tenured faculty, Cullinan says By john darling for the Mail Tribune Southern Oregon University on Monday announced it will lay off 17 nonacademic staff members and will soon cut into faculty and programs to alleviate a $4 million shortfall from declining enrollment, shrinking state support and rising energy and health care costs. SOU President Mary Cullinan broke the hard news to about 250 people at a public meeting in the Stevenson Union. She said some vacancies also won't be filled, representing a total loss of 25 non-academic positions. The staff cuts, made in their departments by vice presidents of business affairs, student affairs and advancement, plus savings in energy use and travel restrictions make up $2.4 million of the shortfall, Cullinan said. The remaining $1.6 million will have to come out of the academic side, she said. The university will begin taking public comments Jan. 22 and announce final cuts March 5. Advertisement "Everything is on the table," said Cullinan. "We need to change and anything we do will make someone unhappy." Under discussion is collapsing some of SOU's five schools into one, such as combining social sciences, art and science, said Marketing and Public Affairs Director Barbara Porter. "No program will be held harmless," said SOU Provost Earl Potter. "Programs with strong enrollment and a good history will be more safe." Cullinan, who took her post just four months ago, said the cuts should be "a good long-term fix" if levels of support for higher education in the new state budget are passed and remain stable in the long term. "The state has not supported higher education for a long time, and every university in Oregon has been on the brink of disaster for several years. It's been serious ongoing deprivation," Cullinan said in an interview. "We should have been paying more attention to our enrollment as it aligned with our expenses. Energy and health care costs have gone way up." Cullinan said she was encouraged by the November election, in which voters rejected ballot measures "that would have bankrupted SOU and most other universities. It shows Oregon voters would like to keep higher education for the success of Oregon." The positions cut were not made public Monday. Classified (union) employees have a required 30-day notice; others may be laid off immediately. In negotiations with faculty, Cullinan said members favored budget balancing by attrition and reassignment of teachers within the school. But Cullinan said, "I have not been convinced so far that we can meet our reduction target without laying off tenured faculty." Cullinan said her decision, following meetings with all campus groups and the State Board of Higher Education and chancellor, was "tough" and "not reached lightly." She will announce her proposed academic cuts Jan. 22, with input accepted for 20 days after that. Comments can be made at [email protected]. The upcoming academic cuts, said Cullinan, will be in keeping with her vision of "breaking down academic silos" to "craft interdisciplinary programs to meet the needs of a global work force." The university will keep a liberal arts base while reaching for financial sustainability, she added. Since the start of the decade, SOU has had a 30 percent hike in expenses, a 23 percent decline in revenues, a 6 percent drop in state support and a decline in enrollment of 615 full-time equivalent students. It has drawn its reserves down to 3.3 percent from the 5 percent on which it tries to operate. On the Web: " target="_blank">www.sou.edu/president/ John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Trunks, Footlocker Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Discount Hotel Reservations Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Debt Help New Hampshire Primary